Hotel Amirauté

The sheets and towels made this stay miserable. In the first room, the bed was a small full-size bed even though we had booked two twins. The older man at reception said he would get someone to fix it. About an hour later, we were sent back to the same room, where we found that the full bed apparently split into two very slim twins, around two-thirds the size of a normal twin. One bed had clean sheets; the other had used sheets, stained and covered in hair. The man apologized, said they were short-staffed, and gave me clean sheets to make the bed myself. I did, but being short-staffed doesn't make filthy bedding acceptable. There was just one towel for two of us, too. When I asked for another, the young man at reception scoffed and said he couldn't do anything until morning. Asking two adults to share a shower towel is too much. I was starting to think it was a joke, but it wasn't. We arrived mid-afternoon. The older receptionist was kind when we checked in, though he seemed overwhelmed. While I was downstairs about the bed, two other guests also complained that their rooms hadn't been cleaned. He told them they had only one cleaning lady and were doing their best. The next morning, I told him how unhappy I was. He agreed the service had been horrible and said he wanted to do better, but had no housekeeping or support. I later learned the rude young man working overnight was the owner's son. The owner never contacted me and I got no refund. I also asked for a VAT tax form and was basically given a receipt. I explained that I needed the blue envelope with a barcode, but was told I was wrong and the receipt was enough to get the tax back. It wasn't, and I couldn't get my refund. A total nightmare. Don't stay at this filthy hotel. To the kind man at reception who was doing his best, I hope you manage to save enough to get back to the US someday.

Our flight was delayed by five hours, so we reached the hotel at 2 in the morning. Someone was still at the desk, communication had stayed open throughout, and check-in went smoothly. Right after we booked, they messaged to offer help with getting from the airport. The staff were wonderful, especially David at the breakfast bar. He helped us find our restaurant of the year, Le Pompon, and made great hot chocolate at breakfast. The hotel is right opposite Cannes station, with everything else an easy walk away, so getting around was simple.

We stayed here twice and I'd happily come again. The rooms were clean and comfortable, with a nice renovation, though they weren't fancy. The location is great, close to everything. What really earned the five stars was the service: everyone was friendly, ready with advice about where to go and what to do, and accommodating when our flight changed and we needed an extra day. They even gave us a ground-floor room because we had a baby. I'd recommend it.

You’re close to just about everything in Cannes, from the train and the best shopping to lots of excellent restaurants. The staff were great and could speak a wide range of languages.